SAN JOSE, Calif. – An office worker cleaning a fridge full of rotten food created a smell so noxious that it sent seven co-workers to the hospital and made many others ill.

Firefighters had to evacuate the AT&T building in downtown San Jose on Tuesday after the fumes led someone to call 911. A hazmat team was called in.

What crews found was an unplugged refrigerator crammed with moldy food.

Authorities say an enterprising office worker had decided to clean it out, placing the food in a conference room while using two cleaning chemicals to scrub down the mess.

The mixture of old lunches and disinfectant caused 28 people to need treatment for vomiting and nausea.

Authorities say the worker who cleaned the fridge didn’t need treatment – she can’t smell because of allergies.

Each evening, my 4-year-old daughter tells me, “I want lunch for dinner.” Translation: I want a grilled cheese or a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. And, in my bloated, still working full-time, eight-month pregnant state, oftentimes that’s exactly what we have.

It doesn’t help that my sister-in-law is like the Terminator of menu planning and shopping. Each Friday she plans a menu for the following week and each Saturday morning at 7 a.m. she goes grocery shopping for that menu.

So while her kids are happily eating their vegetables each night at a civilized family table, I’m lucky if my kids aren’t camped out in front of the TV, eating whatever we could scrounge up in 15 minutes or less.

I figure there has to be an easier way and I know I need to find it quick because Baby No. 3 is set to debut in less than a month. It’s not like things are going to get easier. And I know if I plan my menus in advance, we can save money each week on our grocery bill.

To me, easier means something involving my computer and the Internet. So I went in search of software that would help me kill the proverbial two birds with one stone: plan a decent, easy-to-make menu while also preparing a shopping list for me.

I checked out all the usual suspects – CookingLight.com, MarthaStewart.com and BettyCrocker.com.

While each had really great recipes, none had that magic combination I needed – menu planning with a tailored, not generic, grocery list.

Though it’s not interactive, the Martha Stewart site comes pretty close. It offers specific menus along with corresponding “grocery bags.” The problem is Martha’s recipes aren’t generally what one would call “easy.” Plus, many of her recipes aren’t budget – or kid – friendly. While my husband will love tuna steaks, I’d still be making PB&J for my kids.

The Betty Crocker site has a cool feature that lets you input the ingredients you have on hand as well as what type of meal you’re trying to prepare. It will return several recipes that meet your criteria. The problem with this approach is that it doesn’t help you plan ahead and it assumes I would be able to get on the computer while two hungry children fight for space in my lap.

After striking out with the free online options, I checked out paid software options.

At $79.95, Dvo.com has exactly what I was looking for. As a bonus, you can purchase “plug-in” software, including Cook’n with Betty Crocker, to give you even more recipes to choose from. (You can also enter your own recipes.) It even has an on-board calculator to help you adjust for the number of people you’re serving as well as detailed nutritional information.

Menus4moms.com also has menu planning software and, at just $7.95 per month, it’s friendlier from a budget perspective. It has many of the same features as Cook’n, but the recipes are more limited.

Romi Carrell Wittman is a writer and the communication services director for Trico Electric Cooperative. E-mail: romi.wittman@comcast.net.

Leave a bag of nonperishable food next to your mail box Saturday for the National Association of Letter Carriers’ annual “Stamp Out Hunger” food drive.

Postal Service letter carriers in southern Arizona will collect the donated food and deliver it to the Community Food Bank, 3003 S. Country Club Road.

“The letter carriers’ food drive is especially important this year as the number of local families seeking our assistnce is increasing every month,” said Bill Carnegie, the food bank’s president and CEO.

Food should be in non-breakable containers and should be put out before your regular mail delivery.

Last year, the food drive collected more than 334,000 pounds of food in southern Arizona.

Farmer Stewart Loew, co-owner of Agua Linda Farm, has local produce at farmer's markets and at the farm in Amado.

If you’re dedicated to seeking locally sourced food when possible, your market basket will be decidedly green this week.

Get your fill of local mixed greens now, because the onset of triple-digit temperatures will see their demise, said Laurel Loew, co-owner of Agua Linda Farm in Amado.

“We still have them, but when the temperatures get to 100 degrees, they start bolting and get bitter,” Loew said.

Agua Linda sells every Sunday at the Tucson Farmers’ Market at St. Philip’s Plaza, 4280 N. Campbell Ave., and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at its Farm Store in Amado. Currently available are lettuce, cabbage, kale, swiss chard, Asian greens, turnips, snow peas and sugar snap peas.

A trek the other direction from Tucson to Our Garden in Catalina will have you choosing from radicchio, kale, chard, spinach, bok choi, turnips, radishes (white and red), lettuce, onion thinnings and asparagus. Open Wednesdays and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to noon, Our Garden is about 10 miles north of Tucson at 16500 N. Stallion Place.

In another month, Our Garden will be harvesting onions, garlic and 40 rows of corn, said Jesse Petty, whose family owns and farms Our Garden.

Back in town, the Food Conspiracy Co-op, 412 N. Fourth Ave., features produce from a variety of local farmers, including Leo Mercado of Tanque Verde Gardens, whose location allows him to stretch his harvest of fragile greens, said Torey Ligon, outreach coordinator for Food Conspiracy.

“He’s way out in this little bowl in the Tanque Verde Wash, so he gets cooler temperatures,” Ligon said. “Last year, he was growing lettuce into June.”

Four different farmers are still bringing greens to the co-op, with grapefruits and some oranges and lemons also still available, Ligon said.

“We’re kind of right at the change point where the seasons start shifting,” she said. “We’ll be getting carrots, turnips, beets and radishes, and once you get into June, that’s when you start to see onions and garlic.”

Roasted Kale with Sea Salt

Tougher than most greens, kale is usually stir fried or boiled. This easy recipe, comprised of just three ingredients, yields kale with a crispy texture and salty flavor.

4 cups firmly packed kale

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon good-quality sea salt, such as Maldon or Cyprus Flake

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Wash and trim the kale: Peel off the tough stems by folding the kale leaves in half like a book and stripping the stems off. Toss with extra virgin olive oil. Roast for five minutes. Turn kale over. Roast another 7 to 10 minutes until kale turns brown and becomes paper thin and brittle. Remove from oven and sprinkle with sea salt. Serve immediately.

Makes 2 servings.

Source: healthycookingsuite101.com

Sauteed Swiss Chard

1 1/2 tablespoons butter

1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

Pinch of dried crushed red pepper

2 large bunches Swiss chard, stems trimmed, leaves cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-wide strips

Melt butter with oil in heavy large pot over medium-low heat. Add garlic and crushed red pepper. Sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add chard; stir to coat. Cover; cook until tender, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Season to taste with salt. Transfer to bowl and serve.

Source: Epicurious.com

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LOCAL PRODUCE SOURCES

• Agua Linda Farm, I-19, Exit 42, south on East Frontage Road in Amado, 520-398-3218, agualindafarm.net

• Our Garden, 16500 N. Stallion Place, Catalina, 825-3861, ourgardencatalina.com

• Community Food Bank Farmers’ Market, 3003 S. Country Club Road, 622-0525, Tuesdays 8 a.m. to noon.

• Farmers’ Market at the University of Arizona, Main Gate Square on University Boulevard between Park and Euclid, 319-9868, Fridays 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

• Santa Cruz River Farmers’ Market, 1352 W. Speedway Blvd., 622-0525, Thursdays 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.

• Tucson Farmers’ Market, St. Philip’s Plaza, 4280 N. Campbell Ave., 918-9811, Sundays 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

• Food Conspiracy Co-op, 412 N. Fourth Ave., 624-4821, foodconspiracy.org, 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily.

Richard Laguna, 42, shops for milk at Food City, 3030 E. 22nd St., on Wednesday afternoon. According to the Arizona Farm Bureau, food prices have dropped for the second consecutive quarter. A gallon of milk is down 20 cents, to $2.87.

Raid the dairy section, stock up on O.J., and favor fowl over the hooved proteins.

Those are three ways to save on your grocery bill based on the latest survey by the Arizona Farm Bureau Federation, which does quarterly assessments of 16 common grocery items.

Orange juice showed the greatest decrease, with the average price down $1.40, to $2.49 for a half-gallon container. Shredded cheddar cheese was down $1.31, to $3.65 a pound; a 5-pound bag of flour dropped 50 cents, to $3.19; and milk was down 20 cents to $2.87 a gallon.

The largest prices increases were deli ham, up 70 cents a pound to $5.28; ground beef, up 30 cents a pound to $3.99; and toasted oat cereal, up 24 cents an 8.9-ounce box to $3.23.

“What’s happened with dairy is we’re oversupplied, and milk prices should be staying low through a good chunk of this year,” said Julie Murphree, spokeswoman for the Gilbert-based Arizona Farm Bureau Federation.

Local shopper Stephanie McKerchie said she has seized on lower milk prices.

“My fiancee and I have three gallons of milk in the fridge, because we drink a lot and use a lot for cereal, and I have noticed that it’s gotten a lot cheaper compared to last year,” said McKerchie, 20.

The substantial drop in milk prices will come at an eventual cost to the consumer, as milk producers will most likely pull back on their production, resulting in an eventual uptick in prices that could come as early as this fall, Murphree said.

“Given the suddenness and severity of the plunge in farm-level milk prices, a significant number of farmers won’t survive much longer with the milk prices they’re receiving,” said Paul Rovey, chairman of the board for United Dairymen of Arizona.

Farm-level prices for milk were down almost 50 percent in February from the beginning of 2008 due to the economic downturn, growth in world supplies of dairy products, and lower international and domestic demand, Rovey said.

McKerchie noted that her savings on milk and cheese is canceled out by rising beef prices.

“I buy steak for dinner, and that’s been really hurting our pocketbook,” she said.

For Norm Peterson, the only reasonable prices he sees on beef these days come in quantities too large for him to buy.

“To get a decent price, you have to basically buy the family pack, which is about a dollar per pound cheaper. But unless you’re going to buy that much, it’s up,” said Peterson, an 86-year-old retired contractor. “Milk prices have definitely come down, but overall, if anything, I think I’m paying more.”

Peterson’s 62-year-old daughter, Carol, said it’s not just higher prices that steer her away from beef.

“Don’t even get me started on beef,” she said. “I don’t know where the heck all the good meat is, but they must be shipping it out of the country, because all we get is the weird stuff.”

Most of the savings that warehouse worker Mark Lopez sees when shopping come with a caveat, he said.

“When the prices are really good on milk and other stuff, it’s usually because of the expiration date, because it’s about to go bad,” said Lopez, 40. “Most of the other stuff I buy, like cereal, vegetables and meat, that’s all gone up.”

The bureau compares prices on a quarterly basis for the Marketbasket survey, but comparing the first three months of 2009 to the last quarter of 2008 has been complicated due to a change in six of the items used in the survey, Murphree said.

The Farm Bureau looked at the institute’s data on shopping trends over the last two years and based on that data, updated the 16 Marketbasket items to better reflect consumers’ current buying habits, said Jim Sartwelle, an American Farm Bureau economist.

Based on the former 16 items used in previous quarters, the first quarter of 2009 was down 32 cents from the previous quarter, Murphree said. That’s the second consecutive drop, as the last quarter of 2008 was down $2.71 from the third quarter of 2008.

Arizona’s total price on the Marketbasket was $7.02 higher than the U.S. average of $47.41 for the same 16 items.

The state’s food prices are generally less favorable than the national average because there are a lot of basic foods that are brought into Arizona rather than produced and processed here, Murphree said.

“If you’re in the Midwest, you’ve got the whole integrated supply chain working for you, but here, the middleman-handling and transportation costs increase the prices,” Murphree said.

Arizona also has a lot of rural areas served by single grocery stores, which aren’t under the same pressure to lower prices as those in urban areas with more competition, she said.

The bureau seeks to identify the best in-store prices, excluding promotional coupons and special deals, so shoppers can often find better prices than those listed in the Marketbasket survey if they seek out in-store specials, Murphree said.

The bureau advises shoppers wishing to stretch their dollars to focus on basic food items over processed ones, and when possible, modify their eating habits, Murphree said.

“With that box of corn flakes, the actual corn in the box is not more than 5 to 8 cents, but the box costs you $3.50, so you’re paying for the middleman,” she said. “It might not be as convenient, but instead of cereal every morning, if you have eggs one morning and fruit and milk on another morning, that will make a difference. Eggs are about 16 cents a piece.”

The price of all-purpose flour fell an average of 50 cents for a 5-pound bag.

The cost of Red Delicious apples has remained steady over the past quarter, at an Arizona average of $1.46 a pound.

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Item AZ change over U.S.

average pvs. quarter average

Red Delicious Apples, lb. $1.46 down $.01 $1.35

Russet Potatoes, 5 lbs. $3.69 no change $3.05

Ground Chuck, lb. $3.99 up $.30 $2.94

Sirloin tip roast, lb. $4.99 up $.14 $3.99

Sliced deli ham, lb. $5.38 up $.79 $4.94

Bacon, lb. $3.88 up $.19 $3.26

Boneless chicken breast, lb. $4.75 down $.04 $3.38

Whole milk, gallon $2.87 down $.20 $3.15

Shredded mild cheddar cheese, lb. $3.65 down $1.31 $4.24

Eggs, dozen, large $1.99 up $.20 $1.50

All-purpose flour, 5 lbs. $3.19 down $.50 $2.51

Orange Juice, half gallon $2.49 down $1.40 $3.00

Vegetable oil, 32 oz. $4.29 down $.03 $2.79

American Salad mix, lb. $2.99 up $.10 $2.63

Toasted oat cereal, 8.9-oz. box $3.23 up $.24 $2.91

White bread, 20-oz. loaf $1.59 no change $1.77

Source: Arizona Farm Bureau Federation Marketbasket Survey

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MARKETBASKET SURVEY

FIRST QUARTER 2009

WASHINGTON – Government health officials are telling people to avoid eating raw alfalfa sprouts, because they could be contaminated with a strain of salmonella.

Officials have received 31 reports of illness associated with eating raw alfalfa sprouts in Michigan, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Utah and West Virginia.

The Food and Drug Administration reports that the contaminated sprouts were grown in multiple states, raising suspicion that the problem stems from the seeds for the plants.

No deaths have been reported.

The illnesses began in the middle of March and tests are still being conducted.

The FDA says the problem is probably related to an outbreak of the same salmonella strain earlier this year in Nebraska, South Dakota, Iowa, Kansas and Minnesota.

A man holds acai berries at the market in Belem, Brazil. Acai juice suddenly is a global "super food," riding high on claims it fights cholesterol, is an anti-aging elixir and a natural Viagra.

The latest weight-loss craze has generated more than 140 complaints to the local chapter of the Better Business Bureau about a seller of acai berry capsules.

According to the latest BBB report, a company doing business as Nature’s Acai Berry has collected 147 complaints since Jan. 8, with 16 more complaints pending, said Kim States, president and CEO of the Southern Arizona BBB.

A weight-loss and health supplement sold through the company’s Web site, the product is derived from the berries of the acai (A-sigh-EE) palm.

The complaints have been filed by customers throughout the U.S. but are handled at the local BBB because the company lists Tucson as its headquarters, States said.

Nature’s Acai Berry’s local address – 5425 E. Broadway, Suite 282 – is a postal drop box at a UPS Store, which makes it difficult to tell if the business has a physical presence in southern Arizona, States said.

“They’re not very forthcoming with their information,” she said. “We seem to have tracked some association to companies in California and New York.”

Only two complaints relate to the nature of the product itself. Nature’s Acai Berry advertises a “14 day risk-free trial” that scores of consumers have found to be anything but risk-free, States said.

Of the 147 complaints, six were listed as resolved for a settlement percentage of 4.08. Based on the number of complaints and the low settlement percentage, the bureau gives the company its lowest rating of “F,” States said.

The majority of the complaints – 115 – concern issues related to billing (67), refunds (29), and sales practice (19).

Some complainants said that after the free trial ended, they were automatically sent more supplements without their consent, resulting in charges of up to $200, States said. Complainants also reported that they were automatically enrolled in additional memberships without their knowledge and that credit card statements and direct debits from bank accounts were made under various names, including Fit Factory, Cost Match, XM Labs and Nature’s Best Acai Berry.

Many complainants, including Tucson resident Jim Lombard, noted that the clock on the 14-day free trial apparently starts when the product is ordered but that customers don’t receive a shipment for days or even weeks after the order is placed.

In Lombard’s case, he had $79.76 automatically deducted from his bank account without his consent. States said the bureau did not receive a response from the company regarding Lombard’s complaint, so it was closed as unanswered, which was the case with more than 95 percent of the complaints about Nature’s Acai Berry.

The company has apparently attracted many customers through advertisements on social networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace, she said.

“When people go to the links to the product, they see all of these logos from trusted news outlets that imply consent,” she said.

The stories and endorsements from those news outlets are for the purported benefits of the acai berry, but in no way endorse the company’s product, States said.

“For a while, there was even this great big picture of Oprah staring you in the face, though they have since pulled that off,” States said.

On the company’s Web site, a “Terms of Offer” page tells those dissatisfied with the product to return it to Amir and Sanchez Nutraceuticals in Torrance, Calif.

Repeated calls to Amir and Sanchez Nutraceuticals yielded no comment from company officials. One call was transferred from a customer service representative to a customer service supervisor who identified herself as “Wendy.” That call was disconnected during the reporter’s conversation. Another call was transferred from a representative to a supervisor to a floor manager who identified himself as “Bernard,” and who said someone from the company would make a return call with a statement. No return call or message was received.

“What you encountered is also what some of the consumers have referred to in their complaints, that they either can’t get through to cancel, or that they do get through but that they continue to be billed for the product,” States said.

A local nutritionist said that benefits of complex sugars, including those of acai berries, are real, but noted that many acai supplements are heavily augmented with other ingredients, which quite often include large amounts of caffeine.

“Complex sugars are wonderful, but instead of getting something from the other side of the Earth, I would encourage people to look at local sources,” said Dr. Michael Stone. “Aloe vera, for example, is very similar to acai berry, though not exact, and its available right here.”

Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard said his office has received complaints from people who signed up for free or nearly free supplements of acai berries and other products, only to be charged later for additional monthly shipments at full price.

“The Internet opens up many opportunities to deceive consumers who invest their money and their trust in a company,” Goddard said in a statement.

Fraud victims can contact the attorney general’s Consumer Information and Complaint Division at 800-352-8431.

To file a complaint or get information from the Southern Arizona BBB on a company, call 888-5353 or visit tucson.bbb.org.

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Most complained about

Here are the 10 “Most Complained About Industries” and 10 “Most Complained about Companies” to the Southern Arizona Better Business Bureau from Jan. 1-April 23.

Inclusion on this list does not necessarily mean a company is doing bad business, as evidenced by the assigned letter grades, States said.

“We have to look at the number of complaints relative to the volume of business they’re doing and how are they responding to those complaints,” she said. “If a company has a settlement percentage rating that’s high, that can actually be a positive, because it’s showing that they’re resolving their complaints to the satisfaction of the consumer.”

10 Most Complained About Local Industries

Description Complaints Settlement%

Health & Medical Products 147 4.08

Auto Dealers-Used Cars 25 76

Computers Software & Services 25 88

Auto Repair & Service 21 76.19

Auto Dealers-New Cars 20 95

Television-Cable, CATV & Satellite 18 100

Furniture-Retail 15 93.33

Youth Organizations & Centers 14 50

Air Conditioning Contractors & Systems 13 76.92

Plumbing Contractors 13 61.54

10 Most Complained About Local Companies

Description Complaints Settlement% Grade

Nature’s Acai Berry 147 4.08 F

Intuit Inc. 20 100 A+

Southwest Youth Sports 14 50 F

Cox Communications 12 100 A+

tvdvdcollection.com 10 0 F

ALLTEL Communications, Inc. 9 100 A+

Cummings Plumbing Heating Cooling 7 57.14 D+

Sam Levitz Furniture Company, Inc. 7 100 A+

Blindsparts.com 6 66.67 F

Comcast of Arizona Inc. 6 100 A+

CashKrazy.com 6 0 NR*

ARS/Rescue Rooter 5 100 A-

BRAKEmax Car Care Centers 5 100 A-

ElectroGear.net 5 40 F

*Company has no rating (NR) because BBB has information indicating it is no longer in business.

Source: Southern Arizona Better Business Bureau

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On the Web

Better Business Bureau of Southern Arizona

http://tucson.bbb.org

Nature’s Acai Berry

https://www.trynaturesacaiberry.com

PHOENIX – The state budget crisis threatens a program that helps Arizona farmers prevent contamination in lettuce, spinach and other leafy greens, advocates say.

The Arizona Leafy Green Products Shipper Marketing Agreement, also known as Arizona Leafy Greens, is administered by the Arizona Department of Agriculture. It started in September 2007 after California experienced two E. coli outbreaks traced to lettuce and spinach.

“We take food safety very seriously as an industry,” said C.R. Waters, a Yuma farmer who serves as the program’s chairman.

Funded by voluntary assessments to member growers and shippers, the program, which took in about $78,000 this year, sets safety standards for growing leafy greens and brings inspectors from California to assess how farms are meeting those standards.

Waters said members of Arizona Leafy Greens look with worry at fund sweeps lawmakers have made to address the state’s budget deficit. Those sweeps already have cut money from the Agriculture Department’s Iceberg Lettuce Research Council, Grain Research and Promotion Council and Arizona Citrus Research Council, which also are funded by growers.

“The fund sweeps for the 2010 and future budgets are the biggest threat to the viability of the program,” Waters said. “People will be hesitant to put money into a fund if it’s going to be used for something other than its intended purpose.”

Arizona growers provide 75 percent of the leafy green produce consumed in the United States and Canada from November through March. The $1 billion industry employs about 20,000 workers.

Arizona Leafy Greens helps ensure quality and safety by making sure animals don’t get into or feed too close to fields and by monitoring water and soil.

Waters said that in addition to protecting the public, Arizona Leafy Greens helps maintain confidence in the food supply and protects the agriculture industry.

“If there’s an outbreak, people will just quit buying that product,” Waters said.

Kurt Nolte, director of the Yuma County Cooperative Extension, operated by the University of Arizona, said safety standards set by Arizona Leafy Greens protect consumers. He said that sweeping the funds would be unfortunate because the program gets its money from the agriculture industry.

“This is not taxpayer money that might get swept,” Nolte said.

Will Rousseau, chairman of Arizona Leafy Greens Communications Committee, said a fund sweep would be nothing more than an indirect tax increase.

“If the funds were swept away, the industry would be forced to replenish the funds with the risk they would be swept away again,” he said.

———

Arizona Leafy Greens

• Full Name: Arizona Leafy Green Products Shipper Marketing Agreement

• Focus: Industry program striving for safety in production of lettuce, spinach and other leafy greens.

• Components: Sets standards for safe productions, ensured through audits by government-certified inspectors.

• Launched in September 2007 after two E. coli outbreaks traced to leafy greens grown in California.

• Administered By: Arizona Department of Agriculture

• Funding: Assessments to member growers and shippers – about $78,000 this year.

———

On the Web

Arizona Leafy Greens:

www.azlgma.gov

Herbert Smith Jr. poses with his meal at home in New York. The 54-year-old Smith has high blood pressure and needs to limit the amount of salt that he eats. He supports a New York City health department campaign to get the food industry and restaurants to cut back on the salt they put in their products.

NEW YORK – First, it was a ban on artery-clogging trans fats. Then calories were posted on menus. Now the New York City health department is taking on salt.

City officials are meeting with food makers and restaurants to discuss reducing the amount of salt in common foods such as soup, pasta sauce, salad dressing and bread.

About three-quarters of the salt Americans eat comes from prepared and processed food, not from the salt shaker. That’s why New York officials want the food industry to help cut back.

“It’s very hard for an individual to do this on their own,” said Dr. Lynn Silver, an assistant commissioner in the health department.

The department has shown its clout with bans on artificial trans fats and rules forcing chain restaurants to post calorie counts. To comply, fast food chains changed their recipes nationwide, and other cities and states have enacted similar policies.

Some manufacturers said getting rid of trans fats took work, and reducing salt has its own difficulties.

Unlike sugar, there’s no substitute for salt. Cream soups — like that casserole favorite cream of mushroom — are the biggest challenge, said George Dowdie, head of research and development for Campbell Soup Co. The soup maker, which has been cutting salt for years, is in the talks with New York.

By fall, Campbell Soup plans to have more than 90 lower-sodium soups available. That includes its first soup, tomato, which will have almost a third less salt.

The industry hopes salt reduction remains voluntary.

“Literally freight cars full of salt have been removed from these products gradually over time,” said Robert Earl, vice president of science policy, nutrition and health for the Grocery Manufacturers Association. “It has to be done carefully — gradually and incremental over time.”

Herbert Smith Jr. never paid much attention to how much salt was in food until he developed high blood pressure. His doctor at a Harlem health center put him on medication and told him to exercise and watch his diet.

The 54-year-old church receptionist said he was alarmed to see how much salt was in the instant soup packages that he liked. He wants the food industry to cut down.

“For those who want to use salt, they can add it themselves,” he said.

Too much salt raises blood pressure, and high blood pressure raises the risk of heart disease. A recent analysis showed that for every gram of salt cut, as many as 250,000 cases of heart disease and 200,000 deaths could be prevented over a decade.

“Very, very small changes in diet could have dramatic effects,” said Dr. Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo, a researcher with the University of California, San Francisco.

For its salt initiative, New York has recruited public health agencies and medical groups across the country. The campaign — with a goal of cutting salt intake by at least 20 percent in five years — is modeled on a plan carried out in Britain. That effort set voluntary salt reduction targets for 85 categories of processed foods.

“Companies have been very innovative,” said Corinne Vaughan, of Britain’s Food Standards Agency. “And they have been very good at making what are quite huge reductions in salt levels.”

Salt in pasta sauces has been cut by nearly a third, and soups by about one-quarter, she said. Some foods have been more challenging, she said, citing bacon, cheeses and packaged bread. With less salt, the dough is sticky and harder to process, she said. Salt is used mostly for flavoring but can also help preserve some foods and gives others texture.

Some British companies have also put “traffic light” labels on package fronts — green for low-salt, for example — so shoppers can “make a choice at a glance,” Vaughan said.

Everyone needs some salt — or sodium chloride — for good health. The daily recommended amount for Americans is about a teaspoon, or 2,300 milligrams of sodium. But many people consume twice that amount. A Big Mac alone has 1,040 milligrams.

A recent government report showed that seven out of 10 adults should be eating even less than the recommended amount — about 1,500 milligrams. That includes anyone with high blood pressure, everyone over 40, and African-Americans, who are at greater risk than whites for high blood pressure.

The prospect of government intervention bothers some, and some critics note that not everyone is sensitive to salt. A few others contend there is not enough scientific evidence that reducing salt really drives down heart problems or deaths.

But many in the medical and public health field are firmly behind the idea.

“When you’ve got groups … all saying we need to reduce salt, the evidence is exceedingly strong, you don’t do more trials,” said Dr. Stephen Havas, an adjunct professor at Northwestern University’s medical school and a former American Medical Association vice president.

In the meantime, the Food and Drug Administration is considering a request that the government regulate salt content. An Institute of Medicine committee is also looking at ways to reduce salt consumption. The FDA says it is waiting for that committee report, due next year, before deciding the regulation issue.

Bibbins-Domingo, the University of California researcher, and her colleagues say their findings support efforts to lower salt levels, either voluntarily or through regulation.

She said her patients with high blood pressure struggle to cut down on salt. They give up potato chips, french fries and salty nuts, but end up eating processed foods like soups and pasta that can also have a lot of salt, she said.

“I realized how hard it is for patients who want to make those changes,” she said.

New York resident Kristle Thompkins, 37, has been trying to make those changes herself.

She started reading labels and limiting salt a few years ago because of her high blood pressure. Now she’s adjusted to eating less salt — although she still misses potato chips.

The macaroni and cheese she made for an Easter gathering now tastes “too salty.”

“My salt tolerance has lowered,” Thompkins said.

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ON THE WEB

New York City Department of Health: www.nyc.gov/health

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TIPS FOR REDUCING SALT

• Check food labels for the amount of sodium per serving. The daily recommended total is 2,300 milligrams, about a teaspoon.

• Comparison shop. Salt content can vary widely by brand.

• Use fresh ingredients whenever possible.

• Look for canned or frozen foods without added salt, or low-salt versions.

• Don’t use a salt shaker at the table and limit salt while cooking.

• Use herbs, spices and salt-free seasonings instead of salt.

• Limit convenience foods like pizza and frozen dinners.

• At restaurants, ask if your food can be prepared without salt.

The Community Food Bank is looking for volunteers to gather food donations during the National Association of Letter Carriers’ Food Drive, usually one of the year’s largest collections.

Last year, more than 334,000 pounds of food were collected in one day, the nonprofit said in a news release.

This year’s drive is scheduled for May 9.

The food bank is especially in need of volunteers to work in post offices from 2 to 6 p.m. There are morning shifts available as well.

Volunteers are also needed to drive their own trucks to collect food and to transfer food from letter carriers’ trucks into semi trailers.

To sign up, call 622-0525 Ext. 204.

Shop’s focus on local products delights clientele

More than 180 people took part in the start of the first Meet Me at Maynards weekly Southern Arizona Roadrunners social run. The Monday run started at Maynards Market at the Historic Depot, 400 N. Toole Ave.

Defying a depressed economy and a closed Fourth Avenue underpass just a few feet away, Maynards Market appears to be growing.

The 2-month-old market in the Historic Depot, 400 E. Toole Ave., is a local business with local products for people who live and work downtown – and also for people from all over who add a market stop while dining next door at Maynards Kitchen.

“People are really yearning for something to happen downtown,” said Shana Oseran, who with her husband, Richard, owns Maynards Market and Kitchen, along with Hotel Congress across the street.

“What’s happening is we’re willing to take a chance and offer what people want.”

Maynards has already developed a loyal customer base that makes suggestions on what the market should carry, such as bottled Coca-Cola from Mexico; Orangina, a carbonated citrus drink; and Sanpellegrino mineral water.

“I sell the heck out of this,” market manager Mark Black said about Orangina. “A lot of these drinks have cult followings.”

But about half of its merchandise is made in and around Tucson and elsewhere in Arizona.

“I think over time we’re going to move closer to 100 percent local,” Black said.

Black recruited 30 local vendors to supply goods from candles, artisan breads and organic spices to scone mix, recycled vinyl accessories and fresh farmer’s cheese and butter. The store carries nearly 900 items.

Monroe Racz, who lives a block away at One North Fifth Apartments, manages to do all her food shopping at Maynards.

“It’s filled my dream of not having to use my car,” Racz said. “The store makes my shopping more convenient.”

“The market is really focusing on local products and having amenities that need to be available for people who live downtown,” Shana Oseran said. “To tell you the truth, we throw everything up in the air and see what’s selling. Believe me, it’s the local products.”

So far, the restaurant is subsidizing the market, but sales figures grow every week. Richard Oseran is pleased with the results, considering that a prime customer base is on the other side of the Fourth Avenue underpass, which is closed for construction.

Many market patrons are restaurant diners, largely because they must order their lunch at the market counter. Dinner has table service.

“Some people had to get used to the idea of not having table service at lunch,” Richard Oseran said. “The reason (for it) was to have people moving through the whole area.”

This week, runners and walkers discovered Maynards en masse.

The Southern Arizona Roadrunners staged its first “Meet Me at Maynards” Monday, drawing about 200 people to run or walk through downtown along the blue painted line known as the Presidio Trail. Before and after, participants wandered through the market, dined at the neighboring Maynards Kitchen and socialized on the track-side patio.

“The first social run was a blast,” said Randy Accetta, a former Roadrunners president and co-developer of the Maynards event. “The market is a great idea. The Maynards location was splendid: plenty of room on the patio, great drinks, discounted food – couldn’t ask for anything more.”

The Roadrunners plan to meet at the market at 6 p.m. every Monday, at least through the end of May, Accetta said.

Maynards Market and Kitchen is among a string of relatively new downtown businesses that bring an enthusiastic spirit to downtown, said Chris Early, owner of Chris’ Cafe and chair of the Downtown Tucson Partnership’s Merchants Council.

“It’s another one of those new businesses coming downtown with fresh ideas and a willingness to be open when events are going on in the evenings,” Early said.

The market fills about half of the former waiting room space at the train depot. The Oserans decided to craft shelves from pallet wood to give the space a rustic feel.

The merchandise includes an eclectic mix of breakfast items, snack stuff, detergents, decorative items, and enough components to assemble a dinner.

Lisette Sacks, creative director at a downtown advertising firm, assembles her lunch three days a week with Maynards Market merchandise.

The bar manager at the Hotel Congress selects the beer and wines, which include handcrafted beers, ales and stouts from New Mexico, Oregon, Colorado, north San Diego County, Ukiah in northern California and overseas.

Some of the beer and wine is served at the Maynards restaurant bar, and an asterisk on the dinner menu denotes ingredients available in the market.

Monica Cota provides candles hand-poured at her Rustic Candle Co. shop, 324 N. Fourth Ave. She said sales have increased 20 percent since her product has been available at Maynards.

“I’m just thrilled with the response we have had in there,” Cota said. “(Maynards) have kept reordering.”

Tucsonan Bobbie Lee (left) and her daughter, Rebecca Lee of San Francisco, shop at Maynards Market, 400 E. Toole Ave., on Wednesday. The market and restaurant are in the former Central Bistro restaurant inside the train depot.

Maynards Market and Kitchen manager Mark Black checks a list of products.

The community table at Maynards Market and Kitchen, which seats 18, was made with ponderosa pine salvaged from the 2003 Aspen fire on Mount Lemmon.

Maynards sells products from about 30 local vendors, including candles from the Rustic Candle Co. on Fourth Avenue.

Locally made salsa is for sale at Maynards Market.

This is the first Meet Me at Maynard's weekly SAR social run. The run started at Maynard's Market at the Historic Train Depot 400 N. Toole. Ave. About 180 people participated.

Runners and walkers who took part in the Monday evening event were served iced tea, lemonade or a margarita on Maynards' track-side patio.

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Online chat

Have any further questions about Maynards or just want to chat about other downtown issues?

Go to the comment section of this story from 2 to 3 p.m. Friday. Downtown reporter Teya Vitu who will be on hand to answer your questions.

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If you go

What: Maynards’ weekly Southern Arizona Roadrunners social run

Where: Historic Train Depot, 400 N. Toole Ave.

When: 6 p.m., Mondays. Come early to check in for the free informal, non-competitive walk

Information: 991-0733 or www.azroadrunners.org.

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If you go

What: New Belgium Urban Assault Ride

When: noon Sunday

Where: 400 N. Toole Ave.

Details: The New Belgium Urban Assault Ride, the largest bicycle scavenger hunt series in the world, kicks off its 10-city 2009 tour in Tucson. This event calls for street savvy and bike smarts, and promotes cycling, health and sustainability.

Info: Call 303-408-0747

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Local vendors at Maynards Market

• Desert Oasis Soap Co. (bar soap and lip salves)

• Rainbow Valley Nursery (fresh farmer’s cheese and butter)

• Tucson Tamale Co. (tamales and fresh salsa)

• Caffe Lucé (fresh roasted coffee)

• Red Rock Ranch and Farms (lavender products)

• Poblano Hot Sauce Inc. (hot sauces)

• Adobe Rose Inn (scone mix)

• Vy & Elle (recycled vinyl accessories)

• Grandma Koyotes BBQ Sauce (Kansas City-style barbecue sauce with bacon bits)

• Bakehouse Bread (artisan breads)

• Mano Y Metate (mole blends)

• Rustic Candle Co. (handcrafted candles)

• Katey Coleville (hand-printed baby clothes)

• Bookmans (books and magazines)

• Five Star Jerky (homemade jerky)

• Livity (raw organic fudge)

• Jack & the Bean Soup (bean soup mixes)

• Medicine of the People (lip balm and salve)

• Retro Trek (luggage tags and stickers)

• Villa Feliz (flowers and plants)

• TM Design (custom metal fabrication)

• Desert Spice & Chili (organic herbs and spices)

• The Vail Connection (gourds and antique fabrics)

• Terra Verde Farms (spicy condiments)

• Lil’ Sassy’s Salsa (salsas)

• RPMS (preserves, condiments)

• Mama Llamas (empañadas)

• Miracle Munchies (gluten-free baking mixes and cookies)

• Azmira Holistic Animal Care (dog and cat food)

• Naknek Family Fisheries (frozen Alaskan salmon and halibut)

PHOENIX — A voter-approved measure that has Arizona’s minimum wage above the federal requirement is forcing some restaurant owners to lay off and reduce health benefits for employees, industry leaders told state lawmakers Tuesday.

“Local restaurants support our communities, and right now we’re in trouble,” said Matt McMahon, owner of 19 Outback Steakhouse locations in Arizona. “The economy is not the problem; bad laws are the problem.”

The Arizona Minimum Wage Act, approved in 2006, requires the minimum wage to adjust each January based on the U.S. Department of Labor’s Consumer Price Index. Arizona’s minimum wage rose to $7.25 per hour this year from $6.90 in 2008.

The federal minimum wage stands at $6.55 but will rise to $7.25 in July.

Members of the Arizona Restaurant and Hospitality Association told the Senate Commerce and Economic Development Committee that the state requirement is hurting their industry.

McMahon and three other restaurant owners told lawmakers that it isn’t realistic to base Arizona’s minimum wage on the constantly changing CPI. They said that having to pay progressively higher wages has strained their revenues, making layoffs inevitable.

Stephen Johnson, owner and president of Macayo’s Mexican Kitchen, said that having to pay the increased minimum wage forced him to lay off employees even before the economic crisis.

“I was paying 95 percent of my employees’ health insurance; I had to cut it to 65 percent to make up the loss of revenue,” Johnson said. “That has harmed my employees more than they benefited from the raise.”

Another restaurant owner asked lawmakers to look at a provision of the act calling for employees who regularly receive tips to be paid $3 less than minimum wage.

Mike Head, vice chairman of the Arizona Restaurant Association and operating partner of a Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse and Wine Bar in Scottsdale, said that his employees who get tips now make considerably more than cooks and servers assistants who work without tips.

“I appreciate the contribution of everyone on my team; however, now the hardest-working people are not the highest-paid people,” Head said.

Because voters approved the change, it would take a three-quarters vote of both houses of the Legislature to overturn it.

Dana Kennedy, communications director of the Arizona AFL-CIO, said in an interview that the act is necessary to protect Arizona’s lowest-income employees. She said she doesn’t believe the minimum wage act could affect Arizona businesses this dramatically.

“I think they’re looking to point fingers in this economic downturn,” Kennedy said.

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Arizona Minimum Wage Act

— Approved: 2006

— Key Provision: Adjusts the minimum wage each January based on the federal Consumer Price Index.

— State Minimum Wage: $7.25 per hour as of January.

— Federal Minimum Wage: $6.55 per hour, rising to $7.25 in July.

LONDON — Would you pay 145 pounds ($215) for a slice of very stale cake?

That’s what an antiques fair in Birmingham hopes to earn Thursday when people bid for the remnant from one of Britain’s most controversial royal weddings.

The cake is thought to be the only surviving item from the 1871 wedding of Queen Victoria’s fourth daughter, Princess Louise, to the Marquis of Lorne.

It went on sale for 145 pounds ($215) Thursday at the Antiques for Everyone fair in Birmingham. The seller is antiques dealer John Shepherd. He bought the slice from a private seller who is a descendant of a noble family from Kent.

“I like unusual objects with history,” said Shepherd. “This was obviously treasured by the Royal Family, and I believe things should be treasured and looked after.”

The slice, which is one-inch thick and protected by parchment, is a tiny portion of the towering 5-foot (1.5 meter) cake served at Princess Louise’s wedding. The entire cake originally weighed over 225 pounds (102 kilograms) and took three months to create.

The wedding caused an uproar when Princess Louise angered the Prince of Wales by becoming the first British princess to marry a commoner. She was determined not to be burdened by the ritual of marrying another royal.

The cake slice is still wrapped in its original parchment, and it was kept for generations in a gentlemen’s “cabinet of curiosity” where men kept treasures to show off, such as fossils and pieces of Egyptian art.

The purchaser will be able to do whatever he wants with the slice. But event organizers suggest it would not be wise to gobble it up, given how firm it is.

“We advise them not to eat a 138-year-old piece of cake,” said Amy Kiernan, a spokeswoman for the fair.

This is a Stevia plant. The herb can be used as a sweetener right out of the ground, but processed versions are available, too.

The next big wave in sweeteners is set to crest this year, with Coca-Cola and PepsiCo on board and extracts on the shelves already available next to Sweet’N Low and Splenda at your favorite grocery store.

But get this: You can beat the soft drink giants to the punch by growing your own.

It’s Stevia rebaudiana, a member of the Chrysanthemum family native to the rain forests of Brazil and Paraguay. In its raw form, it’s 30 times as sweet as sugar, with zero calories, zero carbohydrates and zero glycemic index. Extracts of the plant are so sweet – 200 to 300 times as sweet as sugar – that it has to be blended with a carrier ingredient.

Stevia was given a Generally Approved as Safe rating by the Food and Drug Administration as a sweetener just four months ago, but it’s been used in soft drinks in Japan for more than 30 years and has been sold as a supplement in U.S. health food stores for more than a quarter of a century.

The founder and CEO of a Gilbert-based company lays claim to being the first person to introduce the natural sweetener to the U.S. Jim May of Wisdom Natural Brands imported stevia and Yerba Mate, a tealike beverage derived from another South American plant, in 1982, May said.

His SweetLeaf Stevia is superior in taste and health properties to those coming on the market from Coke, Pepsi and other corporations, because he uses only purified water and filters to produce it, May said.

“Everyone else uses solvents and chemicals, including methanol and ethanol, and because they’re getting their stevia from China, where they process it with chemicals and solvents,” May said. “We get our stevia from South America, and because we’re not using anything but purified water, I can guarantee that it’s the very best and very finest tasting stevia in the world.”

PureVia contains erythritol, a sugar alcohol naturally found in grapes and melons, and isomaltulose, a natural dissacharide found in honey and sugar cane juice, said Katie Wood, a spokesperson for PureVia, a partnership of PepsiCo and the Whole Earth Sweetener Company.

Erythritol and isomaltulose are produced through natural fermentation, Wood said.

TruVia, which was co-developed by Coca-Cola and Cargill, also contains erythritol.

All come in a variety of forms, and, like other sugar substitutes, can also be adapted for cooking and baking.

Though registered dietician Maya Nahra wasn’t ready to pronounce SweetLeaf as the world’s finest, she does prefer May’s sweetener to others she’s sampled, said Nahra, Health and Wellness Educator for Sunflower Farmers Market.

“We’ve carried SweetLeaf as a supplement, and I think it falls right into the class of date sugar and agave nectar as a natural sweetener that is a great alternative to sugar,” Nahra said. “And what’s great about it is you can also grow it in your garden and use it just like you would with herbs like basil.”

Harlow Gardens, 5620 E. Pima St., has sold stevia plants, which usually become available in April and May, for about six years, said Carolyn Smith, bedding manager and garden wizard at Harlow’s. Stevia plants are available at several other local nurseries and garden centers, including those at Home Depot and Lowe’s.

Stevia is “relatively easy” to grow in containers and in the ground, Smith said. The best exposure for the plant is one that allows morning sun and afternoon shade, she said.

“I’d say the mistake most people make, myself included, is keeping the plant too wet, because you want to let it dry out a little between waterings,” Smith said.

The leaves can be eaten fresh, steeped in a tea or dried and then crumbled, she said.

While the plant will grow here, a lot of Arizona gardeners lose their stevia plants at two critical points, May said.

“The first frost of the fall is probably going to kill them, and the first really hot and dry Arizona summer say is also probably going to kill them,” he said.

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MORE INFO

Stevia sweeteners:

Only Sweet:

www.onlysweet.com

PureVia:

purevia.com

Simply Stevia:

stevitastevia.com

SweetLeaf Stevia:

wisdomnaturalbrands.com

Truvia:

truvia.com

What may be the next big thing in the quest for the perfect low-fat french fry will sprout from Iowa ground this summer.

Pioneer Hi-Bred says its genetically engineered soybean will make an oil that has no artery-clogging trans fats. The high-oleic oil is supposed to last three to five times longer in commercial fryers than most zero-trans-fat oils now available.

The Johnson, Iowa-based company, which is the second-largest producer of hybrid seeds for agriculture, will put the soybean through farm tests to determine if those claims are true. If so, then McDonald’s, Frito-Lay and other food companies may snap up the oil and promote heart-healthy fried foods and chips.

The consequences for Americans’ health could be out of sight.

“Zero-trans-fat oils are clearly healthier,” said Dr. David Lemon, a Des Moines, Iowa, cardiologist. “The American average diet contains 3 percent trans fats, and the percentage now recommended is 1 percent or less.”

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has required food processors to label foods by the amount of trans fat because medical researchers say trans fats promote bad cholesterol in the bloodstream. That can lead to heart disease.

“Any product that does the job translates into a gain for the population,” said Lemon.

Proof will come in fast-food kitchens

Most soybean oils require the injection of hydrogen to maintain stability under high heat. The hydrogenation adds trans fats to the oil, however.

The high-oleic oil would have oleic acids blocking the development of destabilizing linolenic acids.

Boosters of high-oleic oil say it will remain stable anywhere from three times to 10 times longer than the low-linolenic oils.

Fast-food and snack makers want frying oils that can hold up under 350-degree heat or more for hours without needing to be replaced.

Food companies are testing the high-oleic oils now, but they guard the results with zeal.

McDonald’s said it would be inappropriate to comment on its tests. Other companies such as Frito-Lay and french fry and tater-tot maker Simplot of Idaho declined to comment.

But the cooking oil industry is watching closely.

“We’re very excited about the high-oleic soybean,” said Bob Collette of the Shortening and Edible Oils Institute, a Washington, D.C., trade group representing the major oil processors, such as Cargill, Archer Daniels Midland and ConAgra.